FIrst of I am not planning on doing this but I am just asking a general question,

At my work outside and probably within about 10 city blocks and expanding. Are hundreds of bunnies they are everywhere. There is a new litter outside that has just appeared underneath a bush.

Some of my co-workers are saying they are going to take one of the babies home and raise it as a pet.

Is this a bad idea or would a baby bunny from the wild adapt to being domesticated.

Roxy's_MA

September 6th, 2005, 01:05 PM

I think it is ilegal to take wild animals as pets. I suppose it is ilegal for a reason so I would have to say it is not a good idea. If they really want a bunny there are tons in the shelter, maybe you could convince them to adopt one.

If the babies appear to be abondaned I would phone the local Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation office.

Joey.E.CockersMommy

September 6th, 2005, 01:11 PM

I dont think they are abandoned I think they are just wild. Although someone probably abandoned some bunnies at one point and that result is all these bunnies multiplying.

StaceyB

September 6th, 2005, 01:35 PM

I wouldn't recommend that they do this. If they are newborns and they take one it is quite possible that they don't survive. There are two types of rabbits in the area, one would need kitten formula and the other needs puppy. If they waited until they were older they would scare them and disturb the nest. The bunnies will scatter and may not make it back to the nest. Rabbits can be skittish to start with but unfortunately even the wild ones could be kept as pets though I wouldn't tell your co-workers that. Rabbits will live in a city w/o any trouble. I would ask them not to touch the nest.

Years ago we were superintendants of the appartment building. I was out mowing the back lawn and was going along the side of the building when all of a sudden these little brown blobs started hopping out from under it. They moved so fast I didn't even know what they were. After I realized what they were, we gathered them up in a milk crate and placed it close by where the nest was under a bush. All were ok and everynight at 10 pm you could look out the window into the back yard and watch mom feeding them. Their original nest was a small hole in the ground against the building and under the spout for the dryer.

Prin

November 14th, 2005, 10:31 PM

Sorry, I somehow missed this thread till now... We had a wild rabbit growing up. It was on the side of the road and when my dad approached, it didn't do anything. He was very social with humans (already an adult) and he just stuck around. The only issue came with health stuff. He didn't like to be handled for medical stuff at all and became pretty vicious about it...

CyberKitten

November 15th, 2005, 12:02 AM

Even with the absolute best expert care, newborn baby bunnies almost always die in captivity so they MUST determine the age of they have this idea in mind. Please, please tell them not to take very young baby bunnies - they will only contribute to their death. This would be a human idea that means well but is not just ill considered but a very bad idea.

At about 10 weeks, it is sort of safe to try to rescue a baby bunny - if indeed something has happened to the baby's mother. (Bunnies sold as pets are a whole other issue). In most instances of rabbit rescue, trained rehabilitators work with the bunnies. This is not something one should try without experience, however well meaning one is. Mother rabbits do not spend that much time (like say cats or dogs) and sometimes well meaning folks make the incorrect assumption that babies are orphans. Most of the time, they are being well cared for by their mom.

Why does no one contact a wild life specialist or natural resources about these rabbits or is an organization careing for a colony? Then again, if someone was, they would be spaying and neutering and if there are many babies, obviously, that is not happening.

Wild rabbits tend to be scared easily (hence the term "rabbiting" to describe someone fleeing). They are also very social animals and one alone may not thrive so if someone does want to adopt a wild baby (10 weeks plus!!!) bunny, they will do better with 2-3 rabbits than with one. If they do succed in domesticating the rabbit, rabbits are very smart and very clean and houe trained easily. (Like cats, they will use a litter box)

In all honesty, your co workers would be better advised to get together and organize a schedule to care for this wild colony and if they want a rabbit, to adopt one or more from a rabbit rescue group. Here is a cutie pie who looks a bit like my bunny did.